The English word ‘tang’ comes from the same root as ‘tongue’ – hence its meaning of a hint of strong flavour. Which is what Hong Kong’s quasi-election campaign now has, thanks to outgoing Chief Secretary Henry Tang’s admission that had ‘strayed in his love life’. (Is it just me or does his forgiving wife Lisa look astoundingly like Henry’s rival CY Leung?)
Click to hear ‘Dozen Girls’ (could it be that many?) by the Damned!
Like Lisa, China’s official press are adopting a supportive let-bygones-be-bygones line to help the textbook PR tactics nip the problem in the bud. However, there are still enough unanswered questions hanging around for mischievous people to keep the story alive. The rumours that Henry had been having a fling with an Administrative Officer assistant go back a while. As if to confirm suspicions that the nexus of bureaucratic and business (self-styled) elites that cluster around Chief Executive Donald Tsang and monopolize Hong Kong’s power structure are too incestuous for comfort, the finger pointed at Shirley Yuen, who has since become CEO of the HK General Chamber of Commerce without much of an open-recruitment exercise. But she is denying it with the rigid defiance that only Hong Kong civil servants and four-year-olds near cookie jars can muster. Furthermore, it is still not clear whether Henry had only one or several extramarital affairs.
While this won’t make the slightest difference to the Chinese government’s pretty obvious intention to appoint him Chief Executive next year, it won’t do much for Henry’s opinion poll ratings. Thanks to a long tradition of concubinage among rich Chinese men, tycoons like Henry even can attract a certain admiration for extramarital dalliances, but you’re supposed to do it with a movie starlet. Dabbling with a junior colleague is a no-no in any organization for its morale- and management-wrecking potential. As for bedding a civil servant, what can we say except ‘Eeewww’? (And as for two of them…)
A pat on the head, by the way, to the Wall Street Journal’s Chester Yung, who declares that the race isn’t a real election in its true democratic sense. An example for the whole international press to follow.
Harry’s view in today’s SCMP is a hilarious response to the ‘news’ of two civil servants shagging.
sadly this is Hong Kong….. and he is supposed to be a leader…..he is just another JOKE in terms of leadership in the cuntry
I like the quote from Chim Pui-Chung right at the end of the China Daily article :
“We are now choosing a Chief Executive, not a saint ”
I guess he could have added : “If it’s OK for accoutants who have done time in jail like me to become law-makers, why make such a fuss about a few extra-marital affairs by the next CE ? “
So the horse picks a slow news day to cough up. Now if the boys of the press hound him like say old Antony Lexus Cheung back in 2003 we could see this all unraveling rather quickly.
Its getting interesting …
Kudos to Henry: I never thought he had it in him. Maybe we should call him ‘The Stallion’.
She looks retarded, by the way.
It’s a simple trust test – If he can’t keep his marriage promises to his wife, a lady he claims to love (or love at some stage), how can we trust him to keep any promises – or have any loyalty – to anyone else?
Come off it, TFF. All men cheat, or want to cheat.
Eisenhower cheated.
Kennedy cheated.
Johnson cheated (of course, he did).
Carter cheated in his heart (by his own admission).
Reagan cheated.
Bush sn. cheated (Jennifer Flowers)
Clinton cheated.
The only ones who didn’t cheat were Ted Heath (gay) and Dennis Thatcher (cuckold).
@ Joe Blow
I like the Stallion idea . Gives a whole new slant to the “horse” pseudonym. I always thought Henry was called the Horse only because of his long face.
But as to your second comment, : that’s a pretty impressive list of good presidents if you count the ones that really did cheat in practice . Interesting correlation.
Of course the converse is maybe true : some of the worst presidents, G.W Bush for one, apparently didn’t cheat , and look what a mess they made of the world.
( Where does Nixon fit in…..? Oh yes he cheated on everyone)
Well
He won’t be getting my vote. Oh wait…….
“All men cheat, or want to cheat”
You sound like one of those apologists trawling an expat forum responding to women worried about their straying menfolk. I can’t vouch for the majority of men (nor, I suspect, can you unless you’ve got a research survey link handy), but I can at least say not all men cheat nor want to cheat.
I wonder if the CEO of the General Chamber of Commerce is a job for the ICAC ? I suppose it depends on what “advantage” Henry maybe got in return if this lady’s premature appointment was as a result of his influence ( and if so, whether it was done with or without the permission of his superiors…..)
Mmmmmmmmmmmm
So it’s now Henry “Hung like a Horse” is it? Looking forward to the day his wife exacts revenge for being so publicly humiliated by him. And believe me, she will!
Gennifer Flowers was with Clinton, not Bush senior.
There was a Jennifer who did it with Bush sr., around that same time.
Henry “Stud Muffin” Tang, anyone?
“As for bedding a civil servant, what can we say except ‘Eeewww’? (And as for two of them…)”
…..Hemmers old chap, I trust you are not including the divine Ms. Winky Ip in this generalisation of our esteemed and unreproachable beauracrats?
the press should ask the gender of the person with whom he strayed and which the PR fiasco is trying to deflect attention from. Sounds like Anwar HK style.